Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Do We Need This Aggression? On The Defence of Kedah Times

What in the world is going on? What is all this aggression all about? I do understand there are bloggers quarreling with each other despite being from the same party. Just like Kedah La not seeing eye to eye with Kedah La Nie just because the latter's writing team were given a cozy office in Wisma Darul Aman and comfortably paid by pas Kedah, and Kedah La getting only about half of the latter makes. But I would go with Kedah La Nie because they have a more professional way of weaving their stories, although the facts are usually suspect.

Despite being a part of Kedah Times, I have always maintained my own independence and chose to write my own blog. Despite friends from both government and opposition did comment on why I would write a blog, based in Kedah and be writing in English, I was undeterred. My blog never has that many hits but I am satisfied. Kedah Times has a more hands-on approach while my blog...well, one can say it's a combination of conspiracy theories and religious apocalyptic warnings. I must say I do get some comments that I did not have the heart to publish. No, I can take the foul languages, but the grammar and vocabulary was extremely terrible that I e-mailed him several brochures for intensive english classes. Rumours that it was mahfuz who emailed me is still unfounded.

I never liked being involved in tiffs between any party. I avoid blogs who seem to pick each other, but I guess what has happened this time did go a tad too far.

Being with Kedah Times from the beginning, I have personally experienced the tumultuous loggerheads between Kedah Times and some other bloggers. This time, KT has been hit with the ultimate slander, and definitely involving money and being accused of being "big-headed" by elitist bloggers. On the question of money, for those who knows Kedah Times well, will know that KT has always been an independent group, unchained and uncommitted to any individual politicians, and they never will. This is the principle that they have never compromised, and this is the integrity that kept KT in top condition. Well, there was a time when one of KT members was offered to write for a certain elite blogger for cash but he rejected the offer.

Bloggers should respect each other, paid or not. There are many bloggers in Kedah who write for the basics: Perjuangan Alif Ba Ta. Being part of Kedah Times, I never demanded, took and/or received any payment for my writings and other services. I make money from my business. we have gone to places upon invitations with our own money, be it for fuel, food and/or accomodation. In most places, we never even reveal who we are, except as Kedah times.

On the money issue, I would suggest that his lordship the blogger show us what this "misused" allocated money is all about, where and when did Kedah Times ever received any single cent from it. Of course, who is that "oghang ataih"? Rest be assured that Kedah Times will never sacrifice the independence they have enjoyed for years. If hislordship fail to back his claim, we can of course make some appointments in court.

There are pro-government bloggers who feel that they belong to the upper-crust of the blogging society, maybe because the amount of money they made, that they seem to brand bloggers from Kedah as peasants and riff-raffs. I would like to disagree but I fear I might be sent flying by a kick by a grandfather's grandson. Maybe they're right, why would anybody want to read the ramblings of a blogger who never made a single cent from his writing, those who pay for their own fuel, food, toll and accomodation just to get to events? Why in the world would anybody in their right mind read articles by those who have 9-5 jobs? Part-time bloggers, plus one macabre-inducing writer who makes videos at the same time? Too low class, right? Maybe KT is low class because the offer by some elitist blogger who claims to be former PKR member was rejected then and there.

Political bloggers, from any party will write on what they believe, guided by their principles, and some by their paymasters. By and all, what matters most is what information has been presented to the end users: the readers. No one blog can claim that he/she is the ultimate, be it based on the number of hits or the number of digits on his paycheck. But if one wants to make claims and accusations, do back it up or one might just end in the gutters, the fight will be in vain. Maybe it is time to remember that, to all pro-government bloggers, "our ships must sail in the same direction" must be adhered to. How it is sailed, be it by the free monsoon wind, or handsomely paid crew rowing it, is entirely up to them.

I don't care being labelled as Jurassic or whatever, you can even label me Ban-ban-ca-caliban, I don't care. I made my stand with KT then, and I still stand by that today. The fight will continue in our very design: no paymaster and no sponsors, as it has been for years.

I shouldn't garble that much, my insidious usage of peasant English might offend the supercilious bloggers who are too pompously elite in the blogging world. Fine, bloggers from Kedah might be inferior and even Jurassic to the elitists, but make no mistake that they are passionate in their fight. We are in Kedah, too bad those who made the comments and accusations are never here.